Combined dumping and refilling means for ice manufacture



G. B. amen-n;

COMBINED DUMPING AND REFILLING MEANS FOR ICE MANUFACTURE yak 26 1924?.

Filed Aug. 21. 1922 Z'Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 26, 1924. 1,484,982

G. B. BRIGHT COMBINED DUMPING AND REFILLING MEANS FOR ICE MANUFACTURE Iv Filed Aug. 21, 19272 -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 26, 1924.

. isrA'r is eEonGr; B; BB-IeHr,..or DETROIT, MrcnIGnn, nsslenonro n'nrnoir ion MACHINE c'o.,

' or nErRoIr,.M1cH1GAn,.-A oo-aromrion or MICHIGA 'coirnmnn noivirine A m REFILLING ivr'isieiws'froeon MANUFACTURE;

a lication filed August 21,1922." Serial ne ssassa Toalliwh omc't'may concern."

Beit known that'I, GEORGE B.:Bnrcrrr, a citizen of theUnited States of America, res siding at Detroit, inv the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gomloined Dumping and Refilling Means for Ice Manufacture, of whiclrthe following is a specification, reference being had therein. to theaccompanying drawingsi s The invention relates to the manufacture of-artificial icehnd'has particular reference to the. methodand: means for discharging the frozen ice cakes andrefilling the cans.

In the present state oftheart ice cakes are usually frozenin individual ice cans which are arranged in series in the brine tank and are periodically lifted therefrom, transported to a. hot well, in which they are immersed, and are then tilted to an inclined position so as to discharge the frozen ice cakes. After the ice cakes are discharged, the cans are again transported to their particular location in the brine tank, after which they are refilled with water. For this refilling it is necessary to provide a flexible hose which must be drawn over the cover of the tank successively to the various positions where the empty cans are located. Furthermore, as the empty cans will float in the brine, this filling device must be first elevated to engage the upper ends of the cans, while during the filling the cans are gradually lowered into the brine.

It is the object of the present invention to simplify and expedite the manipulation of the cans in discharging and refilling, which I have accomplished by locating the can filler adjacent to the point of discharge. This has the advantage, first, of dispensing with the long flexible hose required to reach the various positions where the cans are placed in the brine tank; second, the refilling can be accomplished more expeditiously; third, the cans when filled will immediately sink into the brine, which facilitates the replacement.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view indicating the relative arrangement of the dump and hot well and refilling apparatus;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a perspective View showing the operation of dumping.

.A are the: ice; cans of usual=construction and. which; during the freezing operation,-

are normally placed in a brine tank (not shoavnQt; Biisa hot well: into which the: cans are plunged priorto the discharge of the ice cake in: order tofree theisamewfrom the: walls of the can. C is a chute. or-inclinecl runway onto which the: ice cakes are dischargedufrom thevcans and are slid tothe desired point. The cans are preferably handled: iii-multiple, the hot-.wel'l being of. sufficient size to simultaneously receive a number of cans and the chute being also of a width to simultaneously receive several ice L cakes, D is a-tiltin-g frame-on. which the cans are placed when removed from the hot well and by means of which they are turned into a position for discharging the ice cakes.

To facilitate the refilling of the cans, this ope-ration is: performed while said cans are still in engagement with the tilting frame D. To this end a filler tank E is arranged above the frame D and is so located that the discharge conduits from said tank will register with the respective cans when the latter are in vertical position. The specific construction of this filler tank forms the subjectnnatter of a separate application for patent and it is therefore only necessary in the present case to briefly describe the same. Essentially it comprises -a tank divided by partitions F into a plurality of compartments corresponding in number to the cans which are simultaneously placed on the frame D. Each compartment has a discharge conduit G which extends over and into registration with the can and valves H within the tank controlling separate discharge conduits are simultaneously lifted by means of a. rock shaft I, rock arms J and pull connections K. The rock shaft I is provided with a handle L at one end of the tank which may be manually operated.

As shown, the dump is located adjacent to one wall of the building and the discharge chute is arranged to pass through an aperture in his wall. This arrangement permits of mounting the filler tank on a bracket M secured to the wall. Any suitable means may be provided for lifting and transporting the cans and I have therefore omitted any description of the same.

bination with dumping mechanism for discharging the frozen ice cakes, of a tank filler located above the dumping mechanism to refill the ice cans while they are in engagement with the dumping mechanism.

2. In an ice freezing apparatus, the co n-' bination with a discharge chute for the ice cakes, of a tilting frame arranged adjacent to said chute for holding the cans While being filled and for subsequently discharging the contents thereof into said chute, a filler tank arranged above said tilting frame and providedwith discharge conduits for registrationwith the respective cans when said frame is in a substantially upright position, and manually operable means for simultaneously opening said discharge connections to fill the cans. ,7 a v 3. In an ice freezing apparatus, the combination of a tilting dump frame, a discharge chute arranged adjacent thereto, an

apertured wall through which said discharge chute passes, a filler tank mounted upon said wall above the tilting frame and in a position toprovide clearance for the placing of the cans on saidframe and the removal of the same, and means for simultaneously the latter is returned to normal position.

5. In an apparatus for manufacturing artificial ice, a hot well, a tiltingframe for holding ice cans adapted to discharge-the ice cakes from the cans arranged adjacent to, said hot well, and refilling means-for the cans While in engagement with said tilting dump. 1 Y "g1 36. In an apparatus for manufacturing artificial ice, thecombination with a brine tank, of a hot well inwhich the cans-are adapted to be immersed, dumping mechanism adjacent to said hot well, and means above said dumping mechanism for refilling the cans while in engagement with said dumping mechanism.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

7 GEORGE B. BRIGHT; 

